How many applications for carrying concealed weapon permits has Cleveland County received?

2012 - 618

2011 - 490

2010 - 540

2009 - 605

2008 - 398

-The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office has received 252 permit applications for CCWs since the beginning of 2013.

-Currently, 3,600 residents were approved and have a CCW in the county.

*Source: Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office

Want to take a weapons class?

To learn more about other classes offered by Carolinas First Defense, which include self-defense and rifle training, contact owners Jesse Saucier and Jennifer Fredell at 704-692-4176 or 704-600-7879 and visit their website at www.carolinasfirstdefense.com.

KINGS MOUNTAIN – Groups of men and women huddled behind Christian Freedom Baptist Church. Each carried a handgun. They aimed for the targets ahead from various distances.

Pops of gunfire echoed as bullet casings bounced off the ground. Only a few minutes passed before they reloaded.

Nearly 100 adults attended a N.C. Concealed Carry Handgun Class this past weekend through Carolinas First Defense (CFD), a company that teaches the public about correctly handling weapons and self-defense.

Classes usually attract about 30 students each month, said Jesse Saucier, co-owner and chief instructor of CFD. Saucier is also a N.C. Highway Patrol trooper and firearms instructor for the division.

“We want people to better protect themselves,” he said. “We feel it’s necessary for civilians to learn how to properly handle firearms and learn the laws.”

Recent attendance has surged as the gun control debate has stirred some leaders to ask for legislation banning high-powered rifles and about 2,200 specific firearms being protected for public sale.

The gun control debate recently reloaded after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December left 20 children and six adults dead.

So far this year, 252 Cleveland County residents have applied for concealed carry weapons permits. That's on pace to quickly surpass last year's total of 618.

About 3,600 county resients are currently registered to carry concealed weapons, according to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office.

Should certain guns be banned?

Participants in Saturday's concealed carry class included county residents and others who traveled from as far away as Hickory and Monroe.

Some students were older than 60, both men and women. A portion of the class' proceeds benefitted a summer camp program through the church.

Mike Wensil, of Charlotte, waited inside the church building with about 20 others before taking to the gun course. Successfully shooting a target from a distance of three, five and seven yards away was required to pass the course.

Wensil, a father of three daughters, said some weapons shouldn’t be in the hands of the public.

“I’m not against banning all guns, but only the military should have assault rifles,” he said.

President Barack Obama asked political leaders last week to restore a ban on military-style weapons and limit the size of ammunition magazines.

“I do think people should have mental evaluations to get a pistol," Wensil said. "There are too many psychos out there that have pistols."

Jared Lee Loughner pleaded guilty last year for the January 2011 shooting that killed six in an Arizona supermarket and left former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords enduring months of intense rehabilitation after she was shot in the head. Loughner used a high-capacity pistol magazine to carry out the attack.

Medical experts treated and diagnosed Loughner with schizophrenia, according to the Associated Press.

'Citizens want to protect themselves'

Participants in the local concealed carry course learned more than how to properly shoot a handgun during the weekend. Booklets covered information from weapons laws to how to properly clean a firearm.

“He’s made it his mission to serve and protect. It’s a big passion of his,” Jennifer Fredell, co-owner of Carolinas First Defense, said of Saucier. “We’re a training company and a place for people to learn how to handle a handgun.”

County residents are required to pass a CCW class in addition to passing a background check to carry or own a weapon.

After a series of public shootings last year, gun shops across the nation reported running low on ammunition with increased sales.

Tim Wright, owner of American Tactical and Pawn in Shelby, previously told The Star customers packed his store and clogged phone lines to make purchases in December, days after the Connecticut school shooting.

“Citizens want to protect themselves. Things (dangerous situations) can happen in a short amount of time,” Saucier said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Reach reporter Alicia Banks at 704-669-3338, email at abanks@shelbystar.com and follow on Twitter @TheStarAlicia.

What they're saying

The Star asked concealed carry class participants the following questions:

Why did you attend the class?

I’ve been putting the class off for a while. I live an outdoor lifestyle.

Should there be a ban on guns?

You shouldn’t restrict laws on guns; it should be on the people. I think everyone should take a class to own a gun and make sure they can fire it properly. They should have more than a background check.

-Josh Renshaw, Shelby

Why did you attend the class?

I came for protection. I wanted to learn about legal rights as far as protecting yourself and how to handle guns.

Should there be a ban on guns?

I have the right to bear arms. Everybody should have the right to protect themselves if they see so.

-Dana Austin, Kings Mountain

Why did you attend the class?

I was never interested in guns until about a year ago. I live in Hickory and in one year, my car was stolen and my two next door neighbors’ homes were broken into. The day after, I applied for a handgun permit and now I want to be able to carry one in my car.

Should there be a ban on guns?

I support guns and support teachers having guns in classrooms to protect their kids. If someone wanted to do harm, they could do it with or without guns.

-Casey Cline, Hickory

Why did you attend the class?

I want to protect myself and learn how to defend myself and handle a firearm properly. I’ve been a casual gun owner for about 40 years, but never had an instructional class.

Should there be any ban on guns?

Taking guns away or making them stricter to get won’t help anything. It’s people with mental issues that don’t need them.